Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «D»:
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Dislocated shoulder
Dislocated shoulder: The shoulder joint is the
most mobile joint in the body and allows the arm to move in many directions.
This ability to move makes the joint inherently unstable and also makes the
shoulder the most often dislocated joint in the body. Dislocations of the shoulder occur when the...
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Dislocation of the radial head
Dislocation of the radial head: See: Nursemaid's elbow....
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Dislocation, congenital hip
Dislocation, congenital hip: The abnormal formation of the hip joint in which the ball at the top of the thighbone (the femoral head) is not stable within the socket (the acetabulum). The ligaments of the hip joint may also be loose and stretched.
The degree of instability or looseness varies. A b...
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Disorder, anxiety
Disorder, anxiety: A chronic condition characterized by an excessive and persistent sense of apprehension with physical symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, and feelings of stress. Anxiety disorders have biological and environmental causes.
Anxiety disorders are very common, affecting one in 10 ...
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Disorder, articulation
Disorder, articulation: See: Articulation disorder....
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Disorder, attention deficit (ADD)
Disorder, attention deficit (ADD): An inability to
control behavior due to difficulty in processing neural stimuli.
In November, 1998 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a
consensus report developed by a panel of experts. The panel concluded
that:
Ritalin and other therapies may correc...
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Disorder, autoimmune
Disorder, autoimmune: See Autoimmune disease....
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Disorder, bipolar
Disorder, bipolar: See: Bipolar disorder....
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Disorder, borderline personality
Disorder, borderline personality: A serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity.
Originally thoug...
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Disorder, central auditory processing
Disorder, central auditory processing: A condition in which there is an inability to differentiate, recognize or understand sounds while both the hearing and intelligence are normal.
(In technical terms, a central auditory processing disorder is a disease of the auditory pathways from the bulbar coc...
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Disorder, cephalic
Disorder, cephalic: A congenital condition that stems from damage to, or abnormal development of, the budding nervous system. Cephalic is a term that means "head" or "head end of the body." Congenital means the disorder is present at, and usually before, birth.
Causation: Cephalic disorders are no...
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Disorder, mathematics
Disorder, mathematics: A condition characterized by math skills that are significantly below normal, given the person's age, intelligence, and education. A mathematics disorder can include problems writing or printing numbers, counting, adding and subtracting, interpreting simple mathematical signs...
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Disorder, orgasmic
Disorder, orgasmic: See: Anorgasmia....
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Disorder, seasonal affective (SAD)
Disorder, seasonal affective (SAD): Depression that tends to occur (and recur) as the days grow shorter in the fall and winter. It is believed that affected persons react adversely to the decreasing amounts of light and the colder temperatures as the fall and winter progress.
Seasonal affective d...
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Disorder, social anxiety
Disorder, social anxiety: Excessive fear
of embarrassment in social
situations that is extremely intrusive and can have debilitating
effects on personal and professional relationships. Also called social phobia.
Phobias are
persistent, irrational fears of certain objects or situations. They
rec...